Closing Wounds
by Hazuzu
Summary: Franziska and Adrian have decided to take their relationship to the next level when an all-too-recent wound comes to haunt the prosecutor... Franziska/Adrian, F/F, yuri.


Franziska's apartment was a welcome change from the over-formal atmosphere of the restaurant. It was no less luxurious, but Adrian was all too happy to be able to slip out of her shoes, let down her hair, and relax in the company of the woman she was becoming particularly fond of.

"Thank you for dinner. Again." Adrian smiled softly at Franziska as she sat on the couch.

"You're welcome," Franziska returned the smile as she crisply removed her gloves and placed them in the cubby by the door. "Thank you for sharing it with me."

"O-Oh." Adrian felt heat rising up her neck. "I'm sorry. It just looked so delicious and I didn't think and..."

"Nonsense." Franziska joined her on the couch, just close enough to touch, but not so close as to force it. "I like it when a woman knows what she desires." There was a wicked twinkle in the woman's eyes that had long been flooding Adrian's insides with butterflies. "… Of course, next time, I will be forced to whip you. For appearances' sake."

"I w-" Adrian paused and held up a finger. "You're teasing me again."

"You caught me." Franziska held her hand out, palm up. "But now that we're on the subject… Let me see how you're progressing."

"My whip calluses?" Adrian placed her hand in Franziska's, palm up, and watched as the other woman's finger-pad started to trace her palm. "How are they developing?"

"Hmm. I think you might need another lesson."

"Oh?" Adrian bit her bottom lip as she watched Franziska's delicate inspection of her hand. "That's interesting."

"It is? And why do you think that?" Franziska glanced back up.

"It's just that, I looked up whip calluses, and it seems that the internet has never heard of them." Even without her spectacles, Adrian could have seen the little flush on Franziska's face. "And I thought… That's odd. My whip tutor wouldn't just lie to me so she could hold my hand."

"Certainly not." Franziska scratched at her collarbone, which Adrian had started to notice was a habit of hers. "Those foolish bloggers must be novices."

"Oh, I'm sure," Adrian said. "But, just for a second, I thought, what if it's just one of Franziska's methods of seduction? But was clearly a… Foolish idea. Wasn't it? I mean, you did only bring it up after we started dating, but that's a coincidence."

"Obviously."

"And I did think it was a little odd how it always took at least five minutes..."

"Adrian Andrews, you are far too clever," Franziska sighed. "I admit, it was a farce. It worked when I was a younger woman and I suppose I never stopped. You have my apologies."

"It's fine." Adrian laughed softly. It felt good to do that again. "Everyone has their… Techniques."

"I suppose they must." Franziska paused. "Does that mean you do, as well?"

"N-No!" Adrian bit her lip and met Franziska's skeptical gaze. "… Well, maybe one..."

"May I see?"

"Hmm..." Adrian looked at their hands. She hadn't removed hers from Franziska's and she had no intention of doing so. "Okay." She pulled her glasses a little further down her nose, so she could see over them. "Where did you grow up/"

"Berlin, Germany." Franziska answered immediately. "In a manor not far from the city."

"With your parents?"

"With my father and my little brother, Miles Edgeworth. My mother has not been a part of my life since I was born."

"Oh," Adrian cooed as she comfortingly stroked Franziska's arm. "That must have been rough."

"I suppose I did not quite have the life other children might have, but I cannot claim to envy them. I had my father. He was..." Franziska paused and glanced down at her arm, then shot a smile up at Adrian. "Ah. I see. You're a shrewd woman, Adrian Andrews."

"Thank you." Adrian bowed her head. "You, um. You're allowed to just call me Adrian. If you want to."

"May I?" Franziska arched an eyebrow. "I wasn't sure that we were that close yet."

"Well… We're a few dates in now…" Adrian slid her hand along Franziska's arm again, just up to where her blouse covered her arm. "I think we could get closer. If you'd like that."

"I believe I would." Franziska placed a tentative hand on Adrian's side and the other woman leaned in to kiss her. It was chaste, as all of their kisses had been, with just a hint of hunger behind it. They kissed and kissed, until Franziska was leaning against the corner of the couch and Adrian was very nearly on top of her.

Their hands wandered here and there, until the top button of Franziska's blouse was popped open, then the next, until her torso was freed. Adrian's dress was half unzipped when she reached up to pull Franziska's blouse off of her arm, when Franziska froze.

"Franziska?" Adrian pulled away as best she could while balancing on her girlfriend. Franziska was looking away, not meeting her eyes. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Franziska's lips pursed tight.

"Franziska… If anything feels weird, just let me know," Adrian said softly. "Do you want to stop?"

"No." Franziska still wasn't looking at her. "My shoulder is sore."

"Your shoulder..." Adrian hadn't noticed anything wrong with it through the night. They'd even had a brief whipping practice before their date. "Okay. Um. Do you want to take it off yourself?"

"No." Franziska's head-shake was barely visible. "I would like to keep it on."

"You want to keep your blouse on?" Adrian hesitated. She wanted to go through with things more than she had even when they'd started kissing, but with Franziska like this… "Franziska, it's okay if you're not ready. I can go and we can go on as many dates as it takes until you're ready."

"Don't leave. Please" Franziska looked into Adrian's eyes at last, her gaze shaky at best. "I simply… Want to keep my blouse on."

Adrian frowned as memories came rushing back to her. Amid a sea of bad ones came the image of Franziska rushing into the courtroom, to save the day despite having been shot mere days before. It hadn't come up since they started talking, not when they started dating, but she knew that the topic had reared its ugly head.

"Franziska… Is this because of your shoulder?" Adrian asked, her eyes seeking a response. Franziska's expression confirmed all of her suspicions.

"I suppose it is." Franziska looked away again. "I suppose you think it's foolish, don't you?"

"I… I'm in no position to judge." Adrian shook her head. "I don't, I don't get it, but… Can it be that bad?"

"It is bad enough for me." Franziska glared at something to the side. "It is ugly inside and out. I see it in the morning and the night and when I shower, and when I do not see it, I feel it. You shouldn't have to see it."

"It was taken for my sake. When you were trying to protect me." Adrian whispered, the words coming from her lips just as new to her as she was sure they were to Franziska. "If you had not been involved in my case..."

"I was not involved for your sake."

"But if you hadn't stuck around to help me..." Adrian furrowed her brow.

"Then I may have been shot regardless. That case was larger than both of us, and you suffered enough because of it," Franziska said. "I don't want you to suffer more, and don't you dare try to take responsibility."

"I..." Perhaps Adrian should have known better than to argue with a prosecutor. "But I want to see it. To see you."

"You don't need to!"

"Yes, I do!" Adrian's voice shook. "If… If we see each other more, and I hope we do, and we sleep together… Are you going to wear a blouse for all of it?"

"… I can wear a shoulder brace. Or invest in a supply of athletic tape." Franziska set her jaw. "The problem is solved."

"Just because it's ugly?" Adrian asked. She could feel her own fingers trembling. It was like their whole relationship could crumble if she said the wrong words, but she couldn't leave Franziska to wallow like this. She couldn't accept her finding herself so horrifying. "Just… It's up to me if I think it's ugly. And I like you, Franziska. No matter how ugly it is, I'm still going to like you."

"… No." Franziska shook her head. "No. I can't trust that."

"But you like me!" Adrian could feel the tears coming to her eyes, even though she wasn't the one suffering. Perhaps she was being foolish. "At least, I think you do. Would you like me less if I had some scars?"

"Irrelevant. I can't predict my reaction any more than I can yours."

"Really?" Adrian reached up to the neck of her turtleneck, the back already unzipped, and tugged it down. Her neck was exposed and, with it, scar tissue that dug deep into the soft flesh. "This is from when I-I tried to, to take my life. When I tried to follow Celeste. Hanging." Franziska's mouth had fallen open and her eyes were fixed on Adrian's throat. "W-Well? What do you think? Am I ugly?"

A thousand emotions played across Franziska's face. Her eyes couldn't settle on Adrian's eyes, the scars on her neck, or any empty space that held neither.

"No." Franziska's fingers trembled as she reached up and gently cradled Adrian's jaw. "You're… You're still beautiful, Adrian."

Adrian let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

"Thank you..."

"I… Perhaps I was being foolish." Franziska conceded. "Perhaps you should remove my blouse," She said. She watched as Adrian reached for her blouse, then grabbed her wrist. "Slowly. Please."

"I will." Adrian promised, then Franziska released her grip, and she gradually unveiled the Franziska'ss shoulder. The scar was about the size of a thumbnail, almost crater-shaped, with pinker flesh than any that surrounded it. "Thank you. For showing me."

"You're welcome." Franziska said, seeking Adrian's eyes. "Is it ugly/"

"It's part of you," Adrian said. "So it's beautiful." She pulled Franziska's blouse the rest of the way off of her arm. "And… If it's okay with you, if you still want to, I'd really like to get back to kissing."

"I think I agree." Franziska smiled and Adrian leaned down to prove that she meant it…


End file.
